Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translations both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding the Lord.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 74:9:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“We were not given a wonderful sign;
there are no prophets who are remaining
and there is none of us who knows for how long these will take.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“There are now neither any amazing signs to be seen,
nor are there any prophets.
None of us knows how long this might go on.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“The sign of your (sing.) presence with us (excl.) has-been-lost/has-vanished;
no prophet remains,
and none of us (excl.) know when/[lit. until when] these (things) happening to us (excl.) will-end/finished.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“Your miracles are lost
the prophets no long are alive,
and we do not know for how long will this matter stay like this.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Hatuoni ishara kutoka kwa Mungu,
hatuna na nabii hata mmoja,
hatujui kuwa shida zetu,
zitaendelea mpaka lini.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“All our sacred symbols (OR, miracles) are gone; there are no prophets now/any more, and no one knows how long this situation will continue.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
The psalmist describes the desperate situation of the people of Israel: no signs, no prophet, no certainty as to how long this terrible situation will last. It is not clear what the Hebrew our signs in verse 9a refers to: miracles (Dahood); military banners (as the word is used in verse 4; Anderson); the festivals and rituals of the faith (Briggs). There is no way of knowing exactly what the word refers to. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says it means “our (prophetical) signs”; Bible en français courant has “the signs of your presence,” which probably means miracles; see New International Version “miraculous signs.” Because the interpretation of our signs or Good News Translation‘s “sacred symbols” is so uncertain, the translator in smaller languages would be well advised to follow the interpretation given in a major language that people will be reading. (For signs and banners see verse 4.) This is the only mention of prophet in the Book of Psalms, and in translation it may often be rendered as “one who speaks for God” or “one who speaks God’s words to the people.” It may be necessary to make clear that it is the situation described in verse 9a-b that is in doubt. In some languages the expression who knows how long may be recast to say, for example, “no one knows when our troubles will end” or “no one knows if this situation will stop or continue.”
In verse 10a scoff may mean “laugh at you” (Good News Translation) or “laugh at us,” since there is no direct object in Hebrew; but the parallelism with the next line suggests “you.” “Laugh at you” and “insult you” (“revile thy name”) are also in verse 18. The two questions in verse 10, while not exactly requests for information, vividly express the people’s puzzlement and despair. They can be translated “Surely, O God, you won’t let our enemies keep on laughing at you, will you? Surely you won’t let them insult your name forever?” Revile thy name or Good News Translation “insult your name” must be recast in many languages to say “insult you.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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